


Too Young to Feel

by WonderBoy



Category: Check Please! (Webcomic)
Genre: Blood, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Nursey is not actually chill, Romance if you squint
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-12
Updated: 2016-08-12
Packaged: 2018-08-08 06:10:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,057
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7746160
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WonderBoy/pseuds/WonderBoy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The first thing Nursey notices is the blood. It’s everywhere. Dex’s hands are red and raw and streaks of crimson stain his shirt and his jeans; they cut across his pale skin like scars connecting freckles in a morbid rendition of connect the dots.</p><p>Nursey’s first reaction is to panic, or maybe throw up, he can’t quiet figure out what his body is trying to do. Meanwhile, despite the blood, Dex seems fine. Which Nursey can’t wrap his head around because there is just so much blood.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Too Young to Feel

**Author's Note:**

> I'm so sorry I wrote this in like two hours because I was listening to sad music
> 
> title from something real by blackbear which is not sad music

The first thing Nursey notices is the blood. It’s everywhere. Dex’s hands are red and raw and streaks of crimson stain his shirt and his jeans; they cut across his pale skin like scars connecting freckles in a morbid rendition of connect the dots.

Nursey’s first reaction is to panic, or maybe throw up, he can’t quiet figure out what his body is trying to do. Meanwhile, despite the blood, Dex seems fine. Which Nursey can’t wrap his head around because there is just _so much blood_.

“I need to wash my hands.” Dex finally says. It’s the first thing he’s said since Nursey found him standing outside looking like an extra in a slasher flick. Nursey wants to laugh. He thinks he might have, just a little, because of all things to be worried about that’s what Dex decides on.

“Should we go to the Haus?” It’s the closest place Nursey can think of that he knows they will be able to find a bathroom. As soon as he’s said it though he knows it’s a bad idea. Dex looks ill at the thought. Nursey sighs, tugs a hand through his hair because it is taking all his self-control not to freak out, looks at Dex’s hands again and looks away just as quick because, oh right, _so much blood_. “Alright, okay not the Haus.” Nursey gives him the quickest once over as possible, trying to figure out if Dex is injured. Is the blood even his? Nursey has no idea and Dex is not being much of a conversationalist. “Should I be taking you to the hospital?”   

Dex closes his eyes and exhales, long and slow and Nursey can _hear_ the tremor in his voice, just from that. “I’m fine.”

“You don’t look fine Poindexter!” He raises his voice, he knows he shouldn’t but he does and he’s _so_ not chill enough to give a shit.

“Can we please not do this here?” Dex says between clenched teeth and Nursey wants to yell again. It’s already dark out and the temperature has already started to rapidly drop with nightfall so there’s almost no one around. Why the hell does it matter where they have this out? Nursey drops it anyways because he wants to have this out and arguing with Dex is the only thing that might feel normal about this situation but he can’t stop seeing the blood.

“Can you walk? Do you need my help?”

“I’m fine, Nursey.” Nursey nods in reply and starts walking. He can hear the quiet shuffle of Dex following after him a minute later. “Where are we going?” Dex askes, his voice still soft but strained.

“My dorm.” Nursey doesn’t even have to turn around to see Dex to know the redhead blanches at the idea. “There’s a bathroom in my room.”

“What about…roommates?”

“I have a single.”

In any other scenario Nursey knows he would hear some kind of snide comment from Dex. “Of course he has a single. Best that money can buy, right?”

This time he’s silent though. Nursey can’t bring himself to look back. As long as he can still hear Dex shuffling along behind him he’s not going to worry. 

* * *

 

No one is on the first floor or in the commons area when they arrive which Nursey is thankful for because he hadn’t actually thought what he would do if someone had been there. However, they only get up two floors before the elevator stalls and the doors open to let someone else on. Nursey feels his heart lurch into his throat and he backs Dex into the corner, crowding the D-man’s space while keeping his back to whoever joined them. They’re the same height but thankfully Dex keeps his head down just to be safe.

Whoever joined them on the elevator makes a noise that sounds a considerable amount like disgust and Nursey feels Dex tense against him. Nursey has to will himself not to turn around to see who it is. He keeps focused on Dex. Nursey can smell Dex’s cologne and sweat and the blood. They’re too close for his eyes to focus on any one thing but he counts at least two open wounds on Dex’s face and he’s fairly certain there’s the start of a bruise under the blood.

When they reach his floor Nursey throws his arms around Dex’s neck, praying he doesn’t hurt him in the process, and leads them off the elevator, backwards. No one else is on the floor but Nursey sticks close by Dex’s side as they walk to his room.

Nursey doesn’t realize it until he tries to unlock his door but his hands are shaking. It takes three tries before he can get the damn door open and usher Dex inside.

“On your left.” Nursey directs, nudging Dex towards the bathroom. He goes to his closet for one of the spare towels he keeps shoved in the top corner. They’re darker than his other towels and probably cleaner. He hopes they’re cleaner. Used towel and open wounds does not sound like a good mix.

Nursey grabs the towel and turns back towards the bathroom. He can see Dex through the open door, hunched over the sink. He can hear the water running but it doesn’t look as if Dex is making an effort to scrub his hands, he’s just standing there, motionless, head down.

Nursey approaches the bathroom cautiously, as if he’s approaching a wild animal and doesn’t want to scare if off. He feels like that a lot of the time around Dex. There’s so much about his teammate he doesn’t understand, so much he wants to know but Dex doesn’t really like to share. Even when they’re not fighting and seem to be on their way to becoming friends Dex pulls back before Nursey, or anyone for that matter, gets too close.

This isn’t much different honestly. Dex didn’t come to him because he was bloody and bruised and needed help. He didn’t reach out to _anyone_. Nursey _found_ him like this, standing in the middle of campus, under a tree, staring into space blankly like even he wasn’t sure what happened.

Nursey pushes forward and joins Dex in the bathroom, dropping the towel on top of the toilet.

The water is running bright red down the drain and Dex’s hands don’t look any better. Nursey glances up at him but Dex’s face is expressionless. He’s looking down at the drain but honestly Nursey doesn’t think he’s really seeing what’s happening.

Obviously now is not the time for Nursey’s panic attack. So he pushes all of his worries and freak outs and takes one of Dex’s hands in his, as gently as he possibly can, and helps. He uses hand soap when the blood stops running off with the water but sticks against Dex’s pale skin in ugly, dark red blotches.

It feels like an hour passes before Nursey manages to get all the blood off Dex’s hands. The knuckles on both his hands are raw and the other side of his hands aren’t any better. One especially nasty cut slices diagonally through his palm. It’s not deep as far as Nursey can tell but it looks gruesome and painful all the same. When his hands are finally clean Nursey takes the towel and wraps in around Dex’s hands. Then he turns the redhead and sits him down on the toilet. Dex lets Nursey manhandle him with little more than a grunt.

“Keep your hands wrapped up like that until I find bandages.” Nursey commands stiffly while he dampens a washcloth. Dex nods.

Nursey keeps a gentle hand on the top of Dex’s head while he wipes the blood from his face. Thankfully most of the blood there is just that, blood-not injuries. There’s a small cut on his cheekbone, under his eye, and another on his chin. There’s the start of at least two bruises, one which might be a black eye depending on how large it really is. And he has a split lip.

Dex seems more alert then than he has the entire night. Nursey tries his best to ignore it when he sees Dex watching him but he can still feel his gaze tracing his movements.

They’re close enough that Nursey can smell Dex’s cologne again and once in a while he feels a brush of air over his hand when Dex breathes.

“Why are you helping me?’ Dex asks and it’s so sudden Nursey jumps, nearly falling into the redhead’s lap in the process.

“God, give me a little warning there, Poindexter. You haven’t been very talkative tonight.” Nursey tries to brush off the fumble but he knows he sounds tense as hell. Dex doesn’t smile either.

“Why-”

“Was I just supposed to leave you out there?” Nursey stands up, wincing as his back cracks when he does. Dex watches his movement, looking up through his eyelashes. At any other time, Nursey might have reacted to such a look but right now he was trying to focus. “Besides we’re friends. Helping each other is kind of what friends do. I didn’t think the concept was _that_ new to you.”

Finally looking a little more like himself, Dex scowls up at him. Nursey counts it a victory. Dex lets the silence fall back over them while Nursey finishes cleaning up his face.

“The blood on your clothes…” Nursey trails off, not quite sure how to voice his concerns.

“It’s fine.” Dex replies curtly. When Nursey obviously doesn’t believe him he tries another approach. “I’m not bleeding anywhere else.”

“Are you sure?”

Dex nods. Nursey can’t force Dex to say otherwise so he tries his best to believe his fellow D-man and throws the washcloth back in the sink. Unwrapping the towel Nursey looks over his hands. They still look just as gruesome and painful but thankfully there’s hardly any more blood than when he had wrapped them.

“Why don’t you take a shower and afterwards we’ll find some bandages for your hands? Unless you want to bandage them first, I might have some plastic bags you could wrap around your hands to keep it dry um-”

“I’ll shower first.”

“Just leave your clothes on the floor. I’ll uh bring you a change of clothes. And another towel.”

Nursey leaves the bathroom and he hopes it doesn’t seem like he’s fleeing to Dex. It kind of feels like he is.

He pulls out sweatpants and a t-shirt as the water starts running. He pulls out a pair of boxers too because it feels slightly less weird than Dex going commando with his sweatpants on, though he isn’t sure why. Nursey returns to the bathroom before he remembers he was going to get another towel and backtracks.

“I’m leaving these on the sink.” Nursey calls when he enters the bathroom. Dex doesn’t reply but Nursey can see his shadow through the shower curtain and he seems to be washing his hair so Nursey figures Dex is okay and leaves the bathroom.

Nursey sits on his bed and finally panics like he’s wanted to all night. He starts a text message to the group chat, deletes it, starts one for Chowder, deletes it. He considers calling Bitty or Ransom and Holster, or even Lardo. He feels like he should tell someone something but this isn’t really his something to tell. He calls Bitty anyways because his heart feels like its climbing into his throat and if nothing else Bitty has a calming voice.

Bitty’s greeting is pleasant but he sounds a little confused. Nursey glances at his alarm clock when he hears the wonder in Bitty’s voice. It’s well after midnight, nearly one in the morning already. God, how long did it take to wash the blood off Dex’s hands?

“Nursey?” Bitty asks, sounding concerned that Nursey still hadn’t said anything.

“Sorry, Bits. And sorry about calling so late.”

Bitty hums a little to himself. “Well that’s alright. Are you okay?”

Nursey tugs at his hair again even though he knows it’s a bad idea. “Yeah, yeah just um…I uh…fell earlier. You would just use Neosporin and Band-Aids right? I don’t need to do anything else?” Nursey isn’t sure why he’s asking. He knows how to dress a cut for God’s sake.

“Well as long as the cut isn’t too deep and you made sure to clean it out, yes.” Bitty can tell something is wrong with his story and Nursey can only pray Bitty doesn’t push. “Are you sure you’re alright?”

Nursey hears the water turn off.

“Yes, yeah I’m fine. Just uh, tired. Probably why I fell. Okay, thanks Bits.”

Nursey can hear the question in Bitty’s voice as he says good night but the southern doesn’t push. Nursey has never been more grateful.

Sliding his phone under his pillow Nursey stands up to find his first-aid kit. He knows its buried _somewhere_ in his closet but he’s not entirely sure where.

Dex leaves the bathroom just as Nursey finds it. Nursey’s t-shirt is stretched over Dex’s shoulders but seems to fit him loosely everywhere else. The sweatpants are hung low on his hips but thankfully the t-shirt is long enough to reach the top of them. Dex’s hair is still damp and the ends curl a little in a way Nursey had never noticed before.

“How was your shower?”

Dex shrugged. “Shampoo stung a little.”

“Well I found the first-aid kit. Sit on the bed let me fix your hands at least.”

Nursey uses gauze and medical tape to make make-shift bandages for Dex’s hands. He uses a butterfly closure for the cut on Dex’s chin but it doesn’t fit the cut on his cheek and Dex tells him to just ignore his lip. When he’s done Nursey pushes the kit to the side and looks at Dex seriously.

Dex isn’t looking at him. He’s looking around the room, taking in the dirty clothes thrown _near_ the hamper and the leaning tower of books and notebooks next to the desk. Nursey has a few text books open on his desk and his laptop is buried under the pile of papers somewhere. When his gaze finally makes it all the way around the room to reach Nursey Dex flushes but meets his eye.

“Are you going to tell me what the hell happened?”

Dex audibly swallows. His hand tightens into a fist around the hem of his t-shirt. But his response is so quiet Nursey almost doesn’t hear it.

“Do I have to?”

Nursey feels the same desperation he felt when he found Dex in the courtyard. He wants to yell and fight and do something that feels normal. He wants to be as un-chill as he possibly can if it will make Dex act a little more like himself. He wants answers.

“No you don’t have to.” He says instead. “At least not right now. Eventually though, I would like an explanation for finding you a bloody mess outside on a Wednesday night.”

Dex nods and Nursey hates how relieved Dex looks. “That’s fair.”

Silence falls over them again and Nursey starts to fidget. He grabs a pair of sweatpants for himself and disappears into the bathroom. He can’t believe he’s hiding in his own damn dorm room but he can’t help it. So he changes clothes and makes a mental note to see if he can clean the blood out of Dex’s stuff. He goes to the bathroom and brushes his teeth and washes his face just to stall and finally goes back out.

Dex hasn’t moved from his position on the bed but instead of looking around the room he’s just staring at his hands like they wronged him somehow. As if they had intentionally ended up that way. When he hears Nursey come back Dex’s head snaps up and for a moment Nursey is floored by the raw look in Dex’s eye. God how he wanted to know what happened.

Nursey doesn’t want to kick Dex out because that seems cruel but they aren’t talking and it is late and unless Holster and Ransom are both randomly sick they probably have practice tomorrow. So against his better judgement, Nursey waves at his bed.

“You can stay if you want but we have to share.”

Dex’s expression is guarded again but he tilts his head curiously. “You don’t mind?”

“Well you aren’t in much shape to fight a mugger off so it’s probably safer.” Nursey applauds himself for sounding calm. He expected Dex to flat out reject the idea.

“Thanks.” Dex breathes out softly. Nursey flips the light off before he can think better and walks towards the bed, praying his sight adjusts to the dark before he falls on his face. Dex catches his arm when he’s close enough to crawl onto the bed so he doesn’t have a chance to fall.

They both slide under the covers but once there they can’t seem to decide if face-to-face or spooning feels more awkward. Either way they have to lie close enough to touch unless someone is going to fall off the bed. Nursey can feel his heart beating a mile and minute and he keeps wondering why the hell he didn’t grab a shirt when he changed clothes.

After their latest shift Dex seems to notice Nursey’s freak out because he breaks the tense silence.

“Chill.”

Nursey can’t believe he’s hearing William J. Poindexter telling him to chill in the dark of his bedroom but here he is. This is what his life has come to.

“Unbelievable.” Nursey mutters but he does feel some of the tension leave his shoulders. As payback he throws an arm over Dex’s waist but the redhead only acts weird about it for a second and then he’s relaxed again.

Nursey watches Dex’s form in the dark but the redhead doesn’t move much. His breathing is slow and relaxed and Nursey has to assume he’s fallen asleep already. Nursey doesn’t feel tired but he does feel drained which he hopes is enough to trick his brain into shutting off for the night.

“Whenever you’re ready, you know, you can talk to me about what happened.” Nursey whispers into the dark, sure that he’s only talking to himself.

But the softest whisper followed, “Thanks, Derek.”

 

**Author's Note:**

> I'll leave the cause of his injuries up to the imagination at this point
> 
> Feel free to come yell at me or just stalk the progress of other fics on tumblr on my personal blog (thathopelessromantic.tumblr.com) or my recently created Check, Please! side blog (miseenechecsilvousplait.tumblr.com)


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